Kosuke Fukudome has agreed to a three-year contract with the Hanshin Tigers of Japan's Central League.

Fukudome wound up batting .258/.359/.395 in 596 major league games after first arriving in the United States in 2008 on a four-year, $48 million contract with the Cubs. The veteran outfielder will turn 36 years old in April.

Yankees released OF Kosuke Fukudome.

The 35-year-old outfielder batted .276 with a decent .818 OPS in 39 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but he wasn't going to crack the Yankees' big league roster.

Yankees signed OF Kosuke Fukudome to a minor league contract.

He was cut loose by the White Sox over two weeks ago and has finally caught on with someone else. Fukudome, who batted just .171/.294/.195 games for the Sox, will provide depth at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

White Sox released OF Kosuke Fukudome.

Fukudome was designated for assignment late last week and drew no interest on waivers. The 35-year-old outfielder will presumably try to latch on with a new organization.

Kosuke Fukudome (back) began his rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte on Monday, going 1-for-2 with a single.

He's taken his time and slowly progressed in his rehab, in an effort to avoid re-injury. He'll likely play 2-3 more games at Triple-A, and if all checks out could rejoin the White Sox at some point over the weekend.

Kosuke Fukudome (back) started swinging the bat and throwing Tuesday.

He's feeling much better and will ramp up his work over the next few days. If that goes well, he should go out on a rehab assignment before long. "I want to fix it properly, because I don't want to jump into a game and reinjure it," Fukudome said. "We'll go at it the next couple of days and make a decision."

White Sox placed OF Kosuke Fukudome on the 15-day disabled list with a back injury.

Fukudome began experiencing discomfort in his lower back over the weekend and had not made enough improvement by Thursday. He should be ready once his 15 days are up. The veteran outfielder is batting just .171/.294/.195 in 24 games played this season.

Kosuke Fukudome (back) could need a stint on the disabled list.

Fukudome left Sunday's game with back stiffness, and he's yet to experience any notable improvement. The White Sox will likely make a decision on him soon.

Kosuke Fukudome left Sunday's game with back stiffness.

Consider him day-to-day for the time being. Eduardo Escobar moved from third base to left field to take his spot, with Orlando Hudson entering the game at the hot corner.

Kosuke Fukudome is batting just .175/.286/.200 through 49 plate appearances this year for the White Sox.

Fukudome has no home runs, no stolen bases and just four RBI. The 35-year-old corner outfielder is far from fantasy relevant and may be in danger of losing his 25-man roster spot if the struggles continue.

Kosuke Fukudome is batting just .143/.200/.143 through his first 15 plate appearances with the White Sox.

Fukdome's only two hits have been singles and he's drawn just one walk against four strikeouts. The 34-year-old outfielder won't carry any fantasy value this year.

White Sox signed OF Kosuke Fukudome to a one-year, $1 million contract with a $3.5 million club option for 2013.

A nice little pickup at the 11th hour before spring training. Fukudome will make just $500,000 this season while the option includes a $500,000 buyout, so it's a worthwhile gamble. The 34-year-old batted .262/.342/.370 with eight home runs, 35 RBI and a .712 OPS between the Cubs and Indians last season and should do just fine in a semi-regular role. However, his addition will likely cut into Alejandro De Aza's ability to make an impact.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Mets have "pretty much stopped pursuing" left-handed hitting outfielders and will instead see what falls through the cracks from other teams during spring training.

The Mets were reportedly interested in Rick Ankiel, but he signed a minor league deal with the Nationals over the weekend. They have also been mentioned in connection with the likes of Kosuke Fukudome, Johnny Damon and Raul Ibanez, but it's doubtful they are willing to offer much in the way of guaranteed salary. As of now, it appears Adam Loewen and Mike Baxter will battle for a job as a left-handed bat of the bench during spring training.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, some executives believe Kosuke Fukudome may end up back in Japan.

Fukudome wants to remain in the majors, but the market for him has been severely lacking this winter. Rosenthal hears that the Brewers showed interest in him prior to signing Norichika Aoki. The 34-year-old batted .262/.342/.370 with eight home runs, 35 RBI and a .712 OPS over 603 plate appearances last seson between the Cubs and Indians. While it's unlikely he'll find a starting job at this point, he would make plenty of sense somewhere as a fourth outfielder and left-handed bat off the bench.

According to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the agent for Kosuke Fukudome has called the Reds.

Reds general manager Walt Jocketty has acknowledged interest in Cody Ross, Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick, so they are certainly in the market for outfielders, but it's not clear if they are legitimately considering Fukudome. The 34-year-old batted .262/.342/.370 with eight home runs, 35 RBI and a .712 OPS over 603 plate appearances between the Cubs and Indians last season. He owns a .260/.361/.399 batting line in the big leagues.

Kosuke Fukudome went 2-for-3 with a walk and run scored in Cleveland's win over the Royals on Friday.

Fukudome is now batting .302 in August and .283 since arriving in Cleveland. About as good as the Indians could have hoped for when they acquired him from the Cubs on July 28.

Tigers reliever David Pauley hit Kosuke Fukudome with the bases loaded in the 14th inning to push the Indians to a 3-2 win on Tuesday.

The game ended nearly seven hours after it began, thanks to a two-plus hour rain delay and five extra innings. Both starters -- Doug Fister for Detroit and Justin Masterson for Cleveland -- allowed two runs before being pulled after the delay started in the top of the third. Each bullpen was masterful from there, combining for 11 1/2 scoreless innings before Pauley blew the game. The Indians improve to 57-56, three games behind the Tigers in the titillating AL Central race.

Kosuke Fukudome started in right field and batted sixth in his Indians' debut Friday.

Manager Manny Acta said it will be Fukudome's placement on the field and in the batting order until further notice. "He makes us better --immediately," Acta said. "We're getting an every-day player who is a veteran presence. He's not coming here to platoon for right now. He's going to play right field and we'll go from there." Fukudome went 0-for-4 in his debut.

Indians acquired OF Kosuke Fukudome and cash considerations from the Cubs OF Abner Abreu and RHP Carlton Smith.

It tough to complain about this deal from the Indians' perspective, especially when they are reportedly responsible for just $775,000 of his remaining salary. Fukudome has struggled since his hot start, but still has a .273 batting average to go along with a .374 on-base percentage. He should do just fine in right field until Shin-Soo Choo is ready to return from surgery to repair a fractured right thumb.

According to ESPN's Jim Bowden, the Indians have acquired Kosuke Fukudome from the Cubs for prospect outfielder Abner Abreu and right-hander Carlton Smith.

We're still awaiting an official announcement. Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports that the Indians will be responsible for just $775,000 of the $4.7 million left on Fukudome's contract for this season.